News

Ladies and Gentlemen, the new CAF “V” is coming and we are giving away a free track for your enjoyment. This will be available on vinyl and digital only on November 28! To get your copy of the track, click on this link: http://www.koolarrow.com/v/

Koolarrow Records is proud to announce a very special release: COMO ASESINAR A FELIPES new EP “V”. This five song album was recorded at Estudios Koolarrow in Oakland, between off-day during CAF’s groundbreaking US tour earlier this year. All tracks were performed live in the studio with only minimal overdubbing…It’s bigger, fatter, darker than ever—so much so that we’ve decided to do something special with this one. It will only be available digitally or as a VERY LIMITED EDITION VINYL via the Koolarrow online store (and take my word for it, the vinyl does is justice).An instant classic.

April 29, 2014 marks the official release date of the new Mexican Dubwiser cd “Electric City”…we’ve got sound files posted on the release page, a video in the works, and some killer show dates scheduled.

For the SF Bay Area, we have 2 dj sets on April 26, a televised show the next day at 2pm at the corner of Temple & Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles (with full band) , then BACK to SF that same night (!!!) to play a dj set at the Elbo Room at 11pm.

Marcelo also makes it to Europe for the first time, playing Glastonbury in the UK, with dates in France and Spain (pending confirmation) and more shows to be booked!

ELECTRIC CITY TOUR

[More shows to be confirmed]

April 26 Fairfax, CA@ Peri’s Bar, Outside Garden. 3pm

April 26 Oakland, CA @ El Super Ritmo. 10pm

April 27 Los Angeles, CA @ Fiesta Broadway. Main Stage. 2pm

April 27 San Francisco, CA @ Elbo Room for DUB MISSION. 10pm

May 4 Valle de Bravo, Mx. ECO MUSIC FEST

May 17. Mexico, DF. Festival Marvin w/Band of Bitches

May 28 LA, CA. PREMIOS LOS ANGELES. (nom. KING OF LOS ANGELES/Best of the Underground))

June 13. Mexico, DF. with Los Wookies

June 21 England. Fiesta de la Musica with Los Wookies & Troker

June 25 England. Pre-Glastonbury FEST Party

June 27 England. Glastonbury FEST (the COMMON stage)

June 29 England. Glastonbury FEST (the COMMON stage)

July 1-13 Spain & France with Los Wookies (venues and exact dates to be announced soon)

COMO ASESINAR A FELIPES comes to the US for the first time, including 3 performances at Austin’s SXSW Festival, in addition to 4 California Dates.

In San Francisco, they will be playing at The Independent with Chilean friend and co-collaborator ANA TIJOUX and KUMBIA QUEERS. The second show will be held at SF’s SubMission Gallery, along with RAUL Y MEXIA, DJ KOOL KYLE, REPORTE ILEGAL and Koolarrow’s very own MEXICAN DUBWISER, who will be introducing his new release “Electric City”. We’re keeping the door cover down to a low $5…a great bill and a

The Blue Monkey in Los Angeles promises to be a very special event, as not only will it mark CAF’s debut, but will also be the official kickoff celebration for the new MEXICAN DUBWISER album “ELECTRIC CITY”, hosted my MR Dubwiser himself MARCELO with a ton of special guests. In other words, ANOTHER BLOW-OUT!! From there the band heads to Fresno, with Dubwiser in tow, thanks to the invitation of Mexico’s ENJAMBRE.

For all of you falling KA, you probably know already that last year was an intense one for our artists on many levels: La Plebe’s European shows with Talco, Kultur Shock’s two EU tours, Talking Book in South America (including a killer show with CAF in Buenos Aires), Mexican Dubwiser’s US debut, Dubioza Kolektiv absolutely blowing up at home, finishing the year in a hometown Sarajevo concert that was nothing less than a milestone.

Which brings us to 2014, and I’m happy to say that it’s great to see our bands moving onwards and upwards. Lots of recording: Dubioza Kolektiv, Talking Book, Mexican Dubwiser, Como Asesinar a Felipes, there’s talk of another House of Hayduk…Kultur Shock never stops…and some really interesting developments…CAF backing Mexican Dubwiser (??)…La Plebe collaborating with Dubioza…

In case you haven’t realized by now, Koolarrow is a community as much as a label. We are modern people who celebrate our differences with respect, we cross artificial boundaries, and we make some fucking great music. This is what we will continue to do, THANK YOU for listening to us, supporting us, thinking outside of so called “industry channels” and bring some humanity to our musical culture.

On May 14, Koolarrow, in association with Kin Kon Records, is proud to release the debut album of Revolution Radio by Mexican Dubwiser (aka Marcelo Tijerina). There is also a personal history to this one; I’ve known Marcelo for about 15 years, beginning when he worked at Cuarto de Control, the studio of Control Machete in Monterrey, Mexico. I was mixing a Brujeria there album at the time, and I went to see him DJ at one of his very first shows Later,

he moved to LA, and when Koolarrow Records first started, Marcelo was one of our crew, having a big part in helping with the release of Spanglish 101, and the Not From There and 7Notas albums. As his DJ career has developed over the years, we kept in touch, especially when he would pass through San Francisco. I remember when Marcelo first asked about using the keyboard from the Faith No More song “Stripsearch” into one of his grooves. When I went into the studio to record the part for him, I found myself getting into it, adding my own parts with bass and guitars. And what he did with those parts was to create something really cool: “Trouble in My Soul.” Apparently, his enthusiasm for music has had similar effect on members of Kinky, Cafe Tacvba, and artists Celso Piña, Rocky Dawuni and Pato Machete. If you don’t recognize any of these names, look them up…it’s worth it. They’ve all thrown in their lot with Mexican Dubwiser to create an album that couldn’t be more appropriate for Koolarrow: the interpretation of culture through his modern lens. When Marcelo plays Cumbia, he makes it feel as if the genre was created yesterday with a Roland 909.

In a recent press release, I made the provocative statement, “The future of American rock…is Cumbia,” and in view of the demographic shift that’s taking place in this country, I believe it. I hear all the time from people about how bored they are with most of today’s music; how everything has become so formulaic and played-out. Ironically, the freshness and excitement they’re looking for exists right under their noses, but outside of the conventional Anglo playbook. MexDub is a big part of that, and the sooner the press realizes it, the better. Latin, and particularly Mexican culture, is becoming OUR culture.

Como Asesinar a Felipes are among the best and brightest from the current musical explosion that is going on in Chile, one of Chile’s most popular emerging acts. “Comenzara de Nuevo” marks their US debut.

Their “fusion between hiphop and jazz” might sound cliche, until one appreciates how their unique approach to the moodier, and darker aspects of these genres (think Coltrane, Company Flow, McCoy Tyner, Immortal Technique, Bill Evans)…painted on a psychic canvass in saturated techicolor, amidst the psychic disfunction of post-Pinochet Chile. All I can say it that it’s a KILLER album.

This will be available on cd and digitally through all the usual suspects.

BREAKING NEWS RE:HOUSE OF HAYDUK “CITY OF QUARTZ” : I am personally very excited about this one…not only because I’m playing on it but because it’s a collaboration with musicians I have a lot of respect for. I first saw Charles Hayward’s band THIS HEAT in London back when I was 18 in the early 80′s (you do the math…). The original idea of punk had already run it’s course, but THIS HEAT provided all the doom and depth to convince me that challenging music was still moving forward; it made a strong musical impression on me. So to be finding myself collaborating on an album with him 30 years later, on something as forward thinking as anything I’ve been involved in, is a great milestone.

Ironically, Mads Heldtberg, the man who put this whole thing together, and saw it through to the end, has a similar story, except that he was 15 years old when he first saw MY band (!!). I signed his band Dureforsog to Koolarrow on the strength of a cd that showed up in the mail back in 2000, and we’ve kept in touch and schemed musical partnerships ever since.

I find fascinating is the strong musical thread that runs through the entire piece. A trans-generational “human centipede”. To be honest, I don’t really know what to compare it to, it’s moody as hell, often brutal and heavy, colored in beautiful rich, dark hues.

This is Koolarrow’s first vinyl only release–we’re only making 500 copies, you will not find it on cd, and you will not find it on iTunes. It’s a special project that deserves special status. No corners were cut on production and the extra thick 180gm vinyl does the music proud.

We’ve told you we were coming, so here are the details: OCTOBER 20-22, FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL de VANGUARDIA CHILE (https://www.facebook.com/VangFestivalDeVanguardiaChile) .Chile’s first avant grade festival, a free 3 day event, that will not only feature 2 nights of THE TALKING BOOK, but also Chile legends FULANO and Koolarrow’s very own COMO ASESINAR A FELIPES!! This is be TALKING BOOK’s first overseas show, and Bill and Jared have been working overtime in tooling up the set into something that will be very unpredictable but should sound absolutely incredible. Along with Bill and Jared, we’re joined by Dominic Cramp (Evangelista, Vulcanus 68) and for the first time will be accompanied by an intensely cinematic visual backdrop, created and edited by French artist Roland Quelven and Isabel Perez del Pulgar.(http://vimeo.com/48312868). Nos veremos pronto compadres!

We’ve got a lot of news..it seems like almost every active KA band is either touring throughout the summer or getting ready to record new material….which is a good thing! We have Spring and Summer European Tourdates for DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV and LA PLEBE, Bradley Walther is BACK in FLATTBUSH and they’re hard at work on their followup to “Otomatik Attak!” , KULTUR SHOCK getting ready to enter the recording studio in May, and TALKING BOOK have been working on a followup album. Meanwhile COMO ASESINAR A FELIPES are working on a new release that will be different from anything else they have ever done.

As a label, it is truly rewarding to see how all of these bands have been growing and developing over the years, and even more so to realize that it’s 2012, some of these guys have been doing this for over 15 years now and they are not only as solid as ever, but continue to be inspired, ready to fight to the death. This is why we do this!!

Next Tuesday, Sept 13 is the official worldwide release date “Wild WIld East”, from our newest label mates…THE DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV. If you’re in Europe, you already know that these guys are a relentless live act, and will not stop until they’ve played every festival stage and back alley on the continent.

Coinciding with this, and featured on our homepage, is the video debut of their new track “Making Money”. Filmed in Qatar for full bling effect, it’s in true Dubioza form. And if you’re new to the band, live outside of Europe, or just haven’t had a chance to see them live, be sure to check out the large collection of their material their video page.

“Wild Wild East” is available worldwide, through the Koolarrow store, digital sites like iTunes, or at a music store near you.

This summer is going to be a busy as hell for Koolarrow bands, with new releases and tours planned throughout the season. And really, there is SO much going on that this bulletin is more like a “State of the Label address” than your average news update…What I am proud to say is that every single one of the bands mentioned are stepping up and making things happen–rolling up their collective sleeves and making a difference. So without further ado, here is the KA summer report:

Talking Book:

Today is May 24, the official release date of “The Talking Book” worldwide.Reviews across the board have been excellent, and, following the killer live debut at GAMH in SF, plans are now in the works for taking this project on the road, with tour dates tentatively being scheduled for Fall 2011. The album is now available through independent record shops, online, and through our own Koolarrow store.

La Plebe:

Another May 24 landmark, today marks the kickoff for a month long tour of Europe. This run will find the boys hitting familiar spots like Germany and their beloved Balkans, but also breaking new ground in spots like Spain new areas of France…,and the first show of journey begins here in SF at the Bottom of the Hill…TONIGHT!! Tourdates are posted on the tourpage.

DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV:

As we post this, Dubioza is in the middle of a month long tour of their own, currently in Scandanavia,, with European tour dates scheduled throughout the summer. If you are on the continent, be sure to check the Koolarrow tour dates page..these guys are playing a lot and there is a good chance they will be making it your way. Meanwhile, their new album “Wild Wild East” is mixed, mastered, and ready to press! Release is scheduled for Sept 6, 2011…there will be a lot of news about this band coming up over the next few

It’s been almost a pipe dreamt–certainly a long time coming — but where there’s a will there’s a way, and in this case persistence has paid off…Flattbush play their first shows ever in their native Philippines! Their no holds barred form of activism,, pairs with the classic Flattbush musical assault will not bring a passive response…it’s a ballsy move and it’s also what makes Flattbush so great… More details will be posted soon.

May 24 marks the debut of our latest release “The Talking Book”, a collection of aural collage and soundscapes, the product of a collaboration between Koolarrow’s Bill Gould and Jared Blum. For those of you already familiar with Bill’s work, this may come as bit of a surprise…and for those of you not familiar with Jared, we suggest that you check out his label Gigante Sound. It’s heavy on the visuals and can be a great accompaniment to alcohol and heavy machinery. To give you a better idea of what we’re talking about, we’ve put up some tracks for streaming on the Talking Book page.

AND, for those of you in the SF Bay Area, Talking Book will make it’s live debut, on May 18 at the Great American Music Hall, opening the show for Mike Patton and Pivixki. Show begins at 8pm, we’re doing 40 minutes, so be sure to

Ladies and Gentlemen, Koolarrow Records is proud to announce our newest addition to the fold, Bosnia’s notorious Dubioza Kolektiv…Their last album “5 do 12″ is nominated in line for “Best Independent Album 2010″ by Europe’s IMPALA music awards, and right now they’re in the middle of mixing their new album, tentatively titled “Wild Wild East” which we expect to have a September 2011 release. In the meantime, they’ve announced a long line of EU tourdates, ( starting NEXT WEEK ) and posted a couple of new tracks here on their new bandpage.

Seriously, if there was ever a band with the “never say die” spirit, this is it. Their origin is inspiring, the charisma is infectious and

To kickoff this new site, we proudly announce our very first “digital only” effort, with “Un Disparo al Centro” by Como Asesinar a Felipes, an absolutely incredible band from Chile. Though they utilize elements of hip hop and jazz, it’s their very unique sound that, to our ears, is groundbreaking. Well, that, and the fact that they teamed up with Santiago’s Juvenile National Orchestra for this recording, makes this a rich body of work, and one that we are incredibly excited to be putting out . We will also include a download link on the album release page with translations to some of their lyrics, for those who do not speak Spanish… The album is officially available through most online providers (and via the KA store) as of Feb. 22.

There are also some new changes at Koolarrow taking place. A major one is that you will begin to see more “digital only” releases. Yes, it’s true that times are tough for the cd market, we all know that, but working in this format is also a great way, for a small label like ours to introduce new acts. You may also notice that some of our catalog is now sold out, and as a result, is now out of print. Out of print does not mean unavailable,as MOST of the music can still be had through online retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, etc. And in fact, there will be links to these sites posted for each release in the Koolarrow store.

Yes, we know it’s been awhile since you’ve seen any Koolarrow updates – the truth is that with the string of FNM tourdates this past year, it’s given us the opportunity to take stock and regroup, and enact some changes that will make Koolarrow a much more happening place to be. In the coming months, you can expect big changes to the website, but more than that, a string of releases that we are extremely proud to roll out…

from the Koolarrow bands you’re already familiar with, it’s been very gratifying to see our artists getting better and better at what they do with each release (yeah, that’s how it’s supposed to work, but when it actually DOES, it reminds us why we’re doing this)…

but meanwhile, there will be new additions to the fold as well, and these will all be announced in due time.

FLATTBUSH have just finished the recording of their new sonic blitzkrieg, entitled “OTOMATIK ATTAK!”. These guys have spent the better part of two years on it, and wow, it shows. Classic Flattbush, but the punches hit harder and, well, it just works. This self-produced Official release is scheduled for Sept. 28, along with imminent tour dates. Check this site for upcoming news!